System and Program

Abstract

To provide a user-friendly system etc.SOLUTION: A system provided with a function to record video images taken at a vehicle while the vehicle is being parked includes functions of: detecting the approach of a user of the vehicle to the vehicle; canceling recording while the vehicle is being parked when the approach of the user of the vehicle to the vehicle is detected; and not starting recording while the vehicle is being parked until the user of the vehicle is further away from the vehicle than a predetermined range even while the vehicle is being parked. In this way, the user of the vehicle can be prevented from remaining in the video images. It is possible to provide a system, a program, etc. that are superior to conventional systems, in terms of usability etc., compared to conventional systems.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 23

Description

Technical Field

[0001] For example, it relates to systems, programs, etc.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, when power supply from a vehicle is interrupted, such as when parking, a drive recorder that has a function of continuously supplying power from the vehicle's battery or a battery separate from the vehicle's battery to the drive recorder and recording the video during parking is known.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Although the video during parking can be recorded, sufficient usability has not been obtained. Therefore, an object is to provide a system, program, etc. that is superior to the conventional ones, for example, and can obtain better usability than the conventional ones.

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is not limited thereto, and the applicant intends to obtain rights through divisional applications, amendments, etc., for configurations that aim to obtain the effects derived from the components disclosed in this specification and the drawings. For example, problems that can be described as "can be achieved" in this specification are disclosed here if they are reinterpreted as "the problem is...". Each problem is described independently, and the applicant intends to obtain rights to each configuration for solving each problem individually through divisional applications, amendments, etc. Even if a problem is implicitly understood from the description in the specification, the applicant intends to include a part of the configuration described in this specification in the claims through amendment or divisional application. Furthermore, configurations that solve problems by combining these independent problems are also disclosed, and the applicant intends to obtain rights to them. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) A system that has a function to record video images taken of the vehicle while the vehicle is parked, and that has a function to detect when a user of the vehicle approaches the vehicle, and has a function to stop recording the vehicle while it is parked when a user of the vehicle approaches the vehicle is detected. This approach allows for a more user-friendly system than before. Users can simply approach a parked vehicle to deactivate the recording.

[0007] For example, if a parking surveillance camera captures footage of a vehicle approaching it, it results in unnecessary footage being recorded, wasting storage space on the recording medium. However, this can be reduced. For instance, the approach should be just enough to show the person getting into the car. In this case, if the parking surveillance camera captures footage of the person getting into the car, it results in unnecessary footage being recorded, wasting storage space on the recording medium. However, this can be reduced.

[0008] The vehicle could be, for example, a bicycle or a motorcycle, but it is preferable to use an automobile. The vehicle could also be a passenger vehicle such as a bus or a taxi, but it is especially preferable to use a private car or a company car.

[0009] When a vehicle is parked, it is appropriate to consider situations such as the vehicle's engine or electric vehicle being powered off. The system should detect whether the vehicle's engine or electric vehicle is powered off. For example, the system could operate by receiving power from a separate power source, such as the car's battery or another battery, and the system could also monitor the power supply from the cigarette lighter socket. If there is no power supply from the cigarette lighter socket, the system can determine that the vehicle's engine or electric vehicle is powered off.

[0010] Users may include all, or at least some, of the passengers in the vehicle. Users may also include passengers, but it is especially preferable to define them as the driver of the vehicle. Whether or not someone is a user can be determined, for example, by whether or not footage similar to that of a pre-registered user has been captured.

[0011] For example, when a vehicle is parked, it is particularly important to consider the situation where the driver is not in the vehicle. Therefore, it is desirable to have a function to detect whether or not the driver is in the vehicle. This function can be determined, for example, by checking whether or not the driver of the vehicle, as pre-registered, is present in the video footage captured from the vehicle.

[0012] Image capture is best performed using cameras mounted on the vehicle, with wide-angle cameras being particularly desirable. More preferably, a panoramic camera is used. The direction of image capture can be, for example, from inside the vehicle or from inside the vehicle outwards. It is especially desirable to have a configuration that allows for capturing both inside and outside the vehicle. Such a configuration could involve using two cameras for image capture, one for the interior and one for the exterior, or a hemispherical camera mounted on the ceiling inside the vehicle, pointing downwards.

[0013] For recording, for example, the captured video may be recorded on a recording device, but it is particularly preferable to digitize it and record it on a recording device. For digitized recording, it is particularly preferable to compress the information before recording. The recording device may be installed inside the vehicle, or it may be stored on a server connected via communication. The recording device is particularly preferable to be a removable recording medium. The recording device is particularly preferable to be a non-volatile memory. The recording device is particularly preferable to be a semiconductor memory. The recording device is particularly preferable to be a card-shaped recording medium. The recording device is particularly preferable to be an SD card.

[0014] Recording can be done, for example, by simply recording video data continuously, but it is particularly good to do so by creating files at predetermined intervals. The predetermined interval can be when a specific termination condition is met. For example, the termination condition may be every predetermined time from the start of recording. For example, one file may be generated every minute.

[0015] The system may consist of a single enclosure, or it may consist of multiple enclosures electrically connected by wires or wireless connections. Part of the system may be located outside the vehicle. For example, part of the system may be configured as a server, but it is preferable to have the entire system located inside the vehicle.

[0016] To disable this feature, recording should be stopped. For example, recording of images taken on a vehicle should be stopped when a vehicle user approaches the vehicle. Disabling this feature could also involve temporarily pausing recording, but stopping recording altogether is preferable. To stop recording, the file containing the recorded video should be closed.

[0017] The detection of a user approaching the vehicle may be performed, for example, by detecting when the vehicle door is opened by the user, but it is particularly preferable to do so as in (2).

[0018] (2) The detection of a vehicle user approaching the vehicle should be based on whether or not the vehicle user has moved outside a predetermined area from the vehicle's door. In this way, the vehicle's recording while parked is deactivated simply by the user approaching within a designated area outside the vehicle's door. (3) The system for detecting when a user of the vehicle approaches the vehicle should be based on the radio wave conditions with a terminal that the user can carry.

[0019] This method allows for more reliable detection of approach. For example, it can detect approach more reliably than user recognition using image recognition of captured images. Also, for example, users can be detected without having to take their device out of their bag, pocket, or other storage location.

[0020] The device that users can carry should ideally be a battery-powered device. For example, it could be a remote control, key, or tag, but a smartphone is preferable. The inventors have found that vehicle users are highly likely to take their smartphones outside the vehicle.

[0021] For radio waves, for example, LTE can be used, but it is especially good to use one with a communication range of a few meters to a dozen meters. Bluetooth (registered trademark, hereinafter the same) is particularly good to use. Using beacons is especially good, and Bluetooth beacons are particularly good.

[0022] As for a configuration based on radio wave conditions, for example, approach to the vehicle may be detected when radio waves from the terminal become receivable, or it is preferable to detect approach to the vehicle when wireless communication with the terminal becomes possible. More preferably, it is as in (4).

[0023] (4) The detection of a vehicle user approaching the vehicle may be based on the strength of radio waves used for communication between the vehicle user and a terminal that the vehicle user may carry. By doing so, it is not necessary to provide a transmitter or receiver for distance detection using radio waves that is separate from the transmitter or receiver for radio waves used for communication.

[0024] Regarding the detection of approach to the vehicle, for example, even if it is determined that the vehicle is approached when the reception intensity of the radio wave emitted from the terminal that the user can carry in the system reaches a predetermined state, in particular, the user measures the reception intensity of the radio wave emitted by the system with a terminal that the user can carry, transmits the measured reception intensity to the system, and it is determined that the vehicle is approached when the reception intensity received by the system reaches a predetermined state. By doing so, the battery consumption of the terminal that the user can carry can be suppressed. These predetermined states may be, for example, when it is above a predetermined reception intensity.

[0025] (5) The detection of the approach of the vehicle user to the vehicle is a system in which the system side emits a radio wave that can measure its intensity at a predetermined cycle with a terminal that the vehicle user can carry, the terminal that the vehicle user can carry measures the intensity of the radio wave transmitted from the system side at a predetermined cycle, transmits information regarding the measurement result, and the system performs based on the information regarding the measurement result.

[0026] By doing so, the battery consumption of the terminal can be suppressed. In many cases, the battery capacity of the terminal is extremely smaller than that of the vehicle, and transmission often consumes significantly more power than reception. However, since the radio wave is transmitted from the system on the vehicle side, the power required for transmission on the terminal side can be reduced.

[0027] In particular, when the intensity of the radio wave transmitted from the system side at a predetermined cycle is measured with a terminal that the vehicle user can carry, and the measurement result is above a predetermined intensity, information regarding the measurement result is transmitted, and the system performs based on the information regarding the measurement result. By doing so, the power consumption of the terminal can be significantly reduced, and the battery driving time of the terminal can be made longer.

[0028] The predetermined period should ideally be an interval at which at least one reception occurs, and more preferably at least several, within the time it takes for a user to approach a vehicle on foot, from the moment the terminal enters the receivable area of ​​the radio waves transmitted from the system until the user reaches the vehicle. The predetermined period should ideally be less than or equal to the time it takes for a person to walk a few steps. For example, the predetermined period should be 3 seconds or less. On the other hand, making the predetermined period too short will cause problems. The predetermined period should be longer than the time required to conserve the terminal's battery. Furthermore, the inventors have found that if the terminal has the functionality to run applications, frequent reception events can hinder the smooth operation of those applications. Therefore, the predetermined period should be longer than the time required to avoid affecting the operation of applications. Taking all of these factors into consideration, a predetermined period of approximately 2 seconds is optimal. This approach can further reduce the terminal's battery consumption, allow other programs such as applications to run smoothly, and enable recording to be stopped when the user approaches the vehicle and an appropriate proximity is achieved. For example, if the device is a smartphone and the system is configured as a camera, when a user walks towards a camera equipped with a beacon, reception will occur frequently on the smartphone. Therefore, it would be good to reduce the smartphone's battery consumption and enable area detection after moving around 3 or 4 steps. Also, if beacons are transmitted at short time intervals, the smartphone will receive all the beacon signals, causing frequent reception events and preventing the app from running smoothly. However, this problem can be suppressed by setting the interval to around 2 seconds.

[0029] The information regarding the measurement result may be the reception level, and the system may cancel recording when it meets predetermined conditions, such as when this reception level is above a predetermined value. However, the information regarding the measurement result may be specifically a signal requesting the cancellation of recording. The terminal may send a signal requesting the cancellation of recording when it meets predetermined conditions, such as when the strength of the radio waves measured by the terminal is above a predetermined value, and the system may cancel recording when it receives this signal. This method can further reduce the battery consumption of the terminal. The radio waves should be used as beacon signals. The radio waves should be used as advertising signals.

[0030] For example, the system could be a parking surveillance camera equipped with a beacon transmission function, and the terminal could be a smartphone / tablet capable of running an app that can receive the beacon signal transmitted from the camera. For instance, the camera could periodically transmit a Bluetooth beacon signal (every 2 seconds for the product), and when a person with a smartphone that has the dedicated app installed approaches the parking surveillance camera, the smartphone app receives the Bluetooth beacon and establishes a Bluetooth connection with the camera. Each time the smartphone receives a periodic monitoring notification message from the camera, it obtains the RSSI value to detect the approximate distance to the camera. When the RSSI value exceeds a pre-set RSSI value, the Bluetooth connection with the camera is established and the parking surveillance mode is stopped, thereby deactivating the camera's parking surveillance operation.

[0031] Bluetooth beacons are best advertised by the camera, and it's a good idea to create a dedicated UUID (Universally Unique Identifier) ​​for the beacon and transmit it periodically.

[0032] Bluetooth beacons typically transmit ID information called advertisement packets, which include proximityUUID and Major / Minor identification.

[0033] It is advisable to configure the system to periodically transmit the configured ID information. The proximityUUID, Major, and Minor identifiers can be arbitrarily determined, but for example, it is advisable to use a common proximityUUID across all systems, while varying the Major and Minor codes for each individual system. In this way, even when multiple systems are nearby, video recording can be stopped or started (as described later) only when approaching a specific system. It is also advisable to configure the system to receive these Major and Minor codes as message data when the camera and smartphone app are paired. When the app detects that the user has re-paired or unpaired, these Major and Minor codes should be updated or cleared.

[0034] (6) The system may be configured to have a function to receive signals for the operation of a terminal that can be carried by the user of the vehicle via wireless communication, to have an operation to cancel recording of the vehicle while parked as an operation of the terminal, and to have a function to cancel recording of the vehicle while parked when an operation to cancel recording of the vehicle while parked is received, and to cancel recording of the vehicle while parked even if an operation to cancel recording of the vehicle while parked is not received when the system detects the approach of the user of the vehicle to the vehicle.

[0035] This eliminates the need for the user to take out their device when approaching the car and perform an operation on that device to disable recording while parked. Therefore, it eliminates the hassle of having to perform an operation when getting into the car.

[0036] (7) The system should have a communication function that enables communication with a terminal that can be carried by the user in a first range which is a range that is farther away than the second range which is the range for detecting approach to the vehicle and is in the vicinity of the vehicle, and a function that transmits information about the situation detected while the vehicle is parked in the first range.

[0037] In this way, a device carried by the user can acquire information about the situation detected while the vehicle was parked when it approaches the vehicle within the first range, and the recording of the vehicle while parked is deactivated when the user approaches the vehicle within the second range, which is closer than the first range. In particular, the device carried by the user should have a function to receive and notify information about the situation detected while the vehicle was parked from the system. In this way, the user can obtain information about the situation detected while the vehicle was parked when it approaches the vehicle within the first range, and the recording of the vehicle while parked is deactivated when the user approaches the vehicle within the second range, which is closer than the first range. If the user only approaches within the first range and does not enter the second range, it is possible to obtain information about the situation detected while parked without deactivating the recording. For example, if no abnormality is notified, it is possible to use the system by not approaching any further and leaving the car to do other things, and if an abnormality is detected, the recording will be deactivated when the user enters the second range.

[0038] The situation detected while the vehicle is parked may be, for example, the recognition result of the status of a suspicious person captured in the image taken, but in particular, the system should have a function to acquire the status of the vehicle, and the situation detected while the vehicle is parked should be used as information about the vehicle's status that has been acquired. The function to acquire the status of the vehicle may be implemented by equipping the system with sensors, etc., or by acquiring information from the vehicle's original in-vehicle LAN, etc.

[0039] Information detected while a vehicle is parked should be specifically focused on information regarding any vehicle malfunctions. This allows for immediate confirmation of any vehicle malfunctions when approaching a vehicle under parking surveillance.

[0040] Information detected while the vehicle is parked should include battery information and tire pressure information. This way, battery information and tire pressure can be checked every time someone approaches the parked car.

[0041] The first range should be the communication range of the communication function, and is particularly good if it is around 10 to 15 meters. The second range should be, for example, around 6 meters. The inventors have found that because people walk at various speeds, if the distance is too short, drivers and other objects may appear in the parking surveillance footage, so this range increases the likelihood of preventing them from appearing in the footage. Also, for example, if the system is configured to establish a Bluetooth connection when a driver approaches the car and check the RSSI every 2 seconds, then a distance of around 6 meters is desirable, as it is slightly more than the number of steps a person takes within those 2 seconds (4 or 5 steps). (8) It is preferable to have an adjustment function that allows the user to adjust the second range.

[0042] This allows users to set how close the vehicle needs to be before video recording stops. For example, the system could be configured to detect approach based on radio wave intensity, and the user could set the intensity level for the second range. Another example would be a function to set the RSSI level. By adjusting the pre-set RSSI value, the position of the camera that starts / stops parking surveillance can be adjusted, making it possible to control the start / stop of parking surveillance in a position where the driver is not visible in the surveillance footage.

[0043] (9) The system should have a function that prevents recording of the vehicle while it is parked until the user of the vehicle moves beyond a predetermined distance from the vehicle. This method helps to prevent vehicle users from being captured on video.

[0044] It is preferable to have a function that starts recording when the vehicle user moves beyond a predetermined range from the vehicle, even when the vehicle is parked. It is preferable to detect whether the vehicle user has moved beyond a predetermined range from the vehicle and start recording when it is detected that they have moved. Recording may start by resuming recording after pausing, but it is preferable to start a new recording, and if the system is configured to record video data to a file, it is preferable to create a new file and start recording.

[0045] (10) The system is equipped with a function to record video images taken by the vehicle while it is in motion, and includes a driving recording mode which is a mode for recording video images taken by the vehicle while it is in motion, and a parking surveillance mode which is a mode for recording video images taken by the vehicle while it is parked, and has a function to stop recording in the driving recording mode when it detects that the vehicle has changed from driving to parking, and to not start recording in the parking surveillance mode until the user of the vehicle has moved beyond a predetermined range from the vehicle. This makes it easier to prevent the driver or passengers from being captured on video when the system enters parking surveillance mode.

[0046] (11) The system is provided with a function to detect whether any actions that should be taken when parking the vehicle have been forgotten and to transmit information indicating that fact, and is provided with a communication function that can communicate with a terminal that can be carried by the user in a third range which is a range that is farther away from the vehicle and is in the vicinity of the vehicle, and if it is detected that any actions that should be taken when parking the vehicle have been forgotten, the system is provided with a function that transmits information indicating that fact via the communication function.

[0047] In this way, if the system detects that a user has forgotten to perform an action required when parking the vehicle, the user's portable device will receive information indicating this. In particular, the user's portable device should notify the system when it receives such information.

[0048] Actions that should be taken when parking the vehicle include, for example, turning off the illumination, locking the doors, and turning off the hazard lights. The information indicating this could be, for example, the status of the actions that should be taken when parking the vehicle, but it would be particularly good to have information indicating that something has been forgotten. For example, this could be information such as the illumination status, door lock status, and hazard light flashing status, but it would be best to have information indicating that the illumination was not turned off, the doors were not locked, or the hazard lights were not turned off. It would be particularly convenient if the system could be configured to automatically notify the driver if any of these actions have been forgotten.

[0049] For example, the system could be a surveillance camera equipped with Bluetooth communication capabilities. When the surveillance camera is within Bluetooth connection range (area in) of the smartphone, the Bluetooth connection is maintained, and the camera periodically sends periodic monitoring notification messages. When the smartphone receives this message, it obtains the RSSI value at the time of reception. When the RSSI value falls below a pre-set value, it is considered out of the area, and a message is sent to the camera instructing it to perform parking monitoring. When the terminal is a smartphone, if the app is in the background, the app cannot operate periodically on its own, and unless the RSSI value is read when a message is received, the correct RSSI value cannot be obtained, and the correct distance to the camera cannot be determined. However, this problem can be solved by configuring the camera to send periodic messages. While in the area, the connection with the camera is maintained, and the camera can send information such as changes in its status, the number of recordings, and vehicle information. Here again, the transmission cycle for periodic monitoring communication messages is 2 seconds. The reason for 2 seconds is the same as the reason for the beacon transmission cycle. In particular, if data is transmitted at short intervals, the app may not start smoothly, causing it to run frequently and draining the battery, but this problem can also be solved. By recognizing the distance between the parking surveillance camera and the smartphone in this way, when the user gets into the car, they can simply have their smartphone in their hand and the parking surveillance will automatically stop without any operation. The camera's parking surveillance can automatically start when the user parks the car and leaves the area with their smartphone. It is best to configure the system to automatically establish a Bluetooth connection with the camera when the user approaches the parking surveillance camera, and to allow the information held by the camera to be read when needed while a Bluetooth connection is established. Periodic monitoring notification messages should be signals, not beacons or advertisements. (12) It is preferable to have an adjustment function that allows the user to adjust the above-mentioned fourth range.

[0050] This allows users to set how far away from the vehicle video recording begins. For example, the system could be configured to detect the distance based on the signal strength, and the user could set the strength for the fourth range. Another example would be a function to set the RSSI level. By adjusting the pre-set RSSI value, the position of the camera that starts / stops parking surveillance can be adjusted, making it possible to control the start / stop of parking surveillance in a position where the driver is not visible in the monitored video.

[0051] It is particularly desirable to have both configuration (11) and configuration (7), and the first range and third range, and the second range and fourth range should be the same range. It is also desirable to have both functions of (8) and (12).

[0052] It would be useful to have a system that deters criminal activity involving parked vehicles and records events around the vehicle on video. Furthermore, it would be even more convenient if the vehicle monitoring mode could be turned ON / OFF without the user having to manually operate it.

[0053] Furthermore, the system may be equipped with a function to stop and start recording while the vehicle is parked, for example, based on the passage of time or information detected by various sensors attached to the vehicle. For example, recording may be performed until a predetermined time has elapsed since entering parking surveillance mode, and then recording may stop once the predetermined time has elapsed. Thieves are likely to approach the vehicle after confirming that the user has left it, but this system can accurately record such scenes while also reducing the amount of recording space required. In addition, the system may be equipped with a function to start recording when a sensor detects the approach of someone who does not have the user's device. Recording parking surveillance footage in this way allows for more accurate preservation of evidence of criminal activity, increases the likelihood of eliminating the user's own imagery, reduces the increase in recording space without unnecessary recording, and ensures that the recorded content is appropriate. Furthermore, the configuration for detecting area in / out is not limited to using Bluetooth beacons; for example, a configuration using GPS may also be used. (13) For example, it is good to configure it as a program to implement the functions described in (1) to (11) above on a computer.

[0054] The inventions described in (1) to (12) above can be combined in any way. For example, one may combine all or part of the configuration of the invention described in (1) with at least part of the configuration of at least one of the inventions described in (2) and onward. In particular, it is preferable to combine the invention described in (1) with at least part of the configuration of at least one of the inventions described in (2) and onward. Alternatively, one may extract any configuration from the inventions described in (1) to (12) and combine the extracted configurations. The applicant of this application intends to obtain rights to inventions that include these configurations. Furthermore, even if there are descriptions such as "in the case of..." or "when...", these are not meant to be descriptions that limit the configuration to that case or time. These are merely examples of better configurations, and the applicant intends to obtain rights to configurations that do not fall under these cases or times. Also, even if there is a sequence of descriptions, it is not limited to that order. Configurations with some parts deleted or the order rearranged are also disclosed, and the applicant intends to obtain rights to them as well. [Effects of the Invention]

[0055] This allows us to provide superior systems and programs compared to previous models, such as offering better usability.

[0056] The effects of the present invention are not limited thereto, and the effects produced by the components of the structure disclosed in this specification and the drawings are also disclosed. The present invention intends to obtain rights to the components that produce such effects through divisional applications, amendments, etc. For example, the phrases "can do..." in this specification are descriptions that specify the effects produced, and there are components that produce effects even without such descriptions. Furthermore, there are effects that can be grasped by the component even without such descriptions. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0057] [Figure 1]This diagram shows the external configuration of the drive recorder according to the embodiment, with (a) mainly showing the front side, (b) mainly showing the bottom side, and (c) mainly showing the rear side. [Figure 2] This is a diagram illustrating the installation of a dashcam in a vehicle. [Figure 3] This diagram illustrates how to install a dashcam in a vehicle. [Figure 4] This diagram illustrates how to install a dashcam in a vehicle. [Figure 5] This diagram illustrates how to install a dashcam in a vehicle. [Figure 6] This diagram illustrates how power is supplied to the dashcam from the vehicle and how the ACC (accessory) on / off status is detected. [Figure 7] This diagram illustrates the recording operation of a dashcam when the ACC (accessory power) is turned on. [Figure 8] This diagram explains the recording operation of a dashcam when the ACC is off, with the lower section illustrating the case where the recording mode is "always on". [Figure 9] This diagram explains the recording operation of a dashcam when the ACC is off, and also illustrates the case when the recording mode is set to "event only," etc. [Figure 10] This diagram illustrates the event recording process of a dashcam when the ACC (Accessory) is turned off. [Figure 11] This diagram illustrates the recording operation of the dashcam when the ACC is off, the transition to parking surveillance mode and the start of parking surveillance triggered by the operation trigger, and the lower section illustrates the operation when the operation trigger is set to "manual". [Figure 12] The upper diagram illustrates the operation when the trigger is "ACC OFF linked," and the lower diagram illustrates the operation when the trigger is "Area AUTO." [Figure 13] This diagram illustrates the Bluetooth pairing process between a dashcam and a smartphone, and also shows the operation and functionality of the dashcam itself. [Figure 14]This is a continuation of the diagram explaining the Bluetooth pairing process between the dashcam and the smartphone. [Figure 15] This diagram illustrates the Bluetooth pairing process between a dashcam and a smartphone, and also shows the operation and behavior of the smartphone. [Figure 16] This is a diagram illustrating the user interface and operation screen of a smartphone application. [Figure 17] Figure 16 is a diagram illustrating the display content of the operation screen of a smartphone application. [Figure 18] This diagram illustrates operations and functions such as changing the recording mode and manually starting parking surveillance using a smartphone app. [Figure 19] This diagram illustrates the manual operation and functions of parking surveillance via a smartphone app, including stopping the system. [Figure 20] This diagram illustrates the operation and settings for the area sensitivity of the Area AUTO mode in a smartphone app. [Figure 21] This diagram illustrates the operation and settings for the area sensitivity of the Area AUTO mode in a smartphone app. [Figure 22] This diagram illustrates the operation of the dashcam and smartphone when a user gets out of the vehicle and walks away. [Figure 23] This diagram illustrates the operation of the dashcam and smartphone when a user approaches a vehicle. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0058] The following describes an example in which the configuration of this system is implemented using a drive recorder that can be installed in a vehicle, as one embodiment of the present invention.

[0059] The drive recorder of this embodiment is equipped with a camera, an LED for shooting in low light, and a recording lamp in the camera unit, and a microphone, speaker, microSD card interface, REC button, recording button, Bluetooth communication module, WiFi communication module, impact sensor, tilt sensor, door open sensor, etc. in the main unit, and these are connected to a microcontroller which is the control unit, and a CPU built into the microcontroller executes a program stored in the microcontroller to control these components and realize the drive recorder functions described below.

[0060] The dashcam has the ability to wirelessly connect to smartphones and computers equipped with these communication functions via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi modules, and to exchange information with them.

[0061] As shown in Figure 1, the main body of the drive recorder in this embodiment comprises a roughly cylindrical main body and a plate-shaped bracket positioned at an oblique angle on the cylindrical surface of the roughly cylindrical main body, and is configured to allow the main body to rotate around the axis of the cylinder. Furthermore, the lower surface of the main body is equipped with a camera section, which is a roughly rectangular prism-shaped projection that is square when viewed from below and has the left-right direction as its longitudinal direction when viewed from each side. The camera section is configured so that its angle range can be adjusted by human finger operation within the cutout range of the main body around the cylindrical axis of the main body. The camera section has a camera with a lens on its lower surface. The adjustable angle range of the camera section is, for example, 30 degrees to one side and 60 degrees in the front-back direction, using the downward-facing position as a reference. The field of view of the camera mounted on the camera section is 220 degrees in the vertical plane when the main body is correctly attached to the vehicle 1. As a result, a wider range than a hemisphere can be captured with the downward axis as the central axis, and a 360-degree range can be captured with the vertical axis as the axis.

[0062] The camera unit has recording lamps in the center of both the front and rear sides, with a pair of low-light LEDs positioned equally spaced to the left and right of the recording lamps. The low-light LEDs illuminate when an event occurs in a dark environment during proximity monitoring mode (described later). The recording lamps indicate the unit's operating status through illumination, extinguishing, and flashing. Settings may need to be adjusted depending on the mounting location.

[0063] As shown in Figure 2(a), the mounting position can be, for example, on the upper part of the vehicle's windshield, on the driver's side or passenger's side, flanking the rearview mirror in the center of the left-right direction. The bracket can be mounted in any direction as preferred, as shown in Figure 2(b), but since the detection area of ​​the built-in microwave sensor is narrow on the side of the bracket, as shown in Figure 2(c), when mounting on the driver's side, the bracket should be on the right side, and when mounting on the passenger's side, the bracket should be on the right side. The bracket is attached to the windshield using double-sided tape. As shown in Figure 2(d), the mounting direction can be set by selecting whether the mounting position is on the right or left side using dedicated viewer software running on a PC or a dedicated app running on a smartphone. The mounting position information set in the dedicated viewer software or dedicated app is transferred to the main unit's memory via Bluetooth connection. Based on the transferred mounting position information, the system controls whether to illuminate the recording lamp on the front side of the camera unit or the recording lamp on the rear side of the camera unit. If set to the right side, the front recording lamp in Figure 1 will illuminate, while the rear recording lamp will not. If set to the left side, the rear recording lamp in Figure 1 will illuminate, while the front recording lamp will not. If the exterior recording lamp is illuminated while driving, it may be a violation of the Road Traffic Act, but this can be prevented.

[0064] To attach the bracket to the windshield, as shown in Figure 3, attach double-sided tape to the mounting surface of the bracket, remove the nut on one side of the main body, insert the ring portion of the bracket from the side of the main body, and tighten the nut to fix the angle between the bracket and the main body. This mounting structure of the ring to the bracket is a known structure. At this time, adjust the angle between the bracket and the main body so that the horizontal line on the other side of the main body is horizontal, and tighten the nut to temporarily fix it. Then, as shown in Figure 4, peel off the protective film of the double-sided tape on the windshield side, adjust the angle between the bracket and the main body so that the main body is horizontal to the ground, and tighten the nut to completely fix it. After that, as shown in Figure 5, move the camera unit and adjust the angle.

[0065] As shown in Figure 2, the underside of the main unit is equipped with a built-in microphone that collects and records ambient sounds. The top side of the main unit is equipped with a speaker that outputs operation sounds.

[0066] One side of the main unit is a roughly circular, flat surface, on which the microSD card slot, power connector, REC button, and recording button are arranged in the positional relationship shown in Figure 2(c).

[0067] A microSD card can be inserted into the microSD card slot. The device has the function to record video captured by the camera and audio collected by the microphone onto the inserted microSD card. When the device is powered on, if the "NORMAL," "EVGS," and "EVSW" folders do not exist in the root directory of the microSD card, these folders will be created.

[0068] The power connector is the connector to which the plug of the power cable shown in Figure 6 is connected. The power cable is drawn out from a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the plug of the power cable is inserted. The plug of the power cable has power wires that are connected to the vehicle's accessory power wire, the vehicle's battery power wire, and the vehicle's ground wire using electrical taps, etc., and these power wires are housed in a single sheath up to a certain point. The battery power wire is connected to the vehicle's battery power supply via a fuse housed in a fuse holder.

[0069] As shown in Figure 7, recording in DVR mode is performed when the ACC is on, such as when the vehicle engine is on. Recording in DVR mode includes continuous recording and event recording. Continuous recording starts when the ACC is turned on and stops when it is turned off. It continues recording as long as the ACC is on. Continuous recording creates a file every 3 minutes in the "NORMAL" folder, and when the recording capacity is full, it continues recording by overwriting the oldest recording file. The REC button is a button for the user to manually input a stop / restart command for continuous recording. If the REC button is pressed while continuous recording is in progress, continuous recording will stop. If the REC button is pressed while continuous recording is stopped, continuous recording will resume.

[0070] Event recording includes G-sensor recording and one-touch recording. G-sensor recording is a function that records when the acceleration detected by the G-sensor built into the main unit exceeds a set level, such as an impact level equivalent to a collision (when an acceleration event occurs). It generates a total of 30 seconds of recording files in the "EVGS" folder, consisting of 10 seconds before the event and 20 seconds after the event. One-touch recording is a function that records when it detects that the record button has been pressed. It generates a total of 30 seconds of recording files in the "EVSW" folder, consisting of 10 seconds before the event and 20 seconds after the event.

[0071] As shown in Figures 8 to 12, when the vehicle's ACC is turned off, the system switches to proximity monitoring mode in response to an operation trigger and starts parking monitoring. There are two recording methods for parking monitoring: parking recording and event recording. As shown in Figure 8, there are two recording modes: "Continuous" and "Event Only," and there is a function to set which mode to use. "Continuous" records continuously, and event recording is performed when any of the following occur: impact detection by the impact sensor, change in tilt detection by the tilt sensor, or door opening detection by the door open sensor. In "Event Only" mode, as shown in Figure 9, the camera is activated when a person approaches by the microwave sensor, and then event recording is performed when proximity, impact, tilt, or door opening is detected. The initial setting is event only. This helps to reduce power consumption. After the set recording time has elapsed (initial value is 30 minutes), the recording mode is automatically switched to event only, and parking monitoring continues. Parking recording is performed at a lower frame rate of 5 frames / second (initial value) than the 30 frames / second (initial value) for continuous recording when ACC is on. The recording lamp will flash red while an event is being recorded. A "beep beep..." alarm will sound from the speaker for 20 seconds only when tilting or door opening is detected.

[0072] As shown in Figures 10 and 11, there are three types of operation triggers in parking surveillance mode: manual (default), ACC OFF linked, and area AUTO. The system has a function to set one of these in the same way as setting the mounting position as described above.

[0073] When the operation trigger is set to manual, as shown in the lower part of Figure 11, when the vehicle engine is turned off and the ACC is turned off, the speaker will output a voice message saying, "Press the REC button to switch to proximity monitoring mode." After 15 seconds have passed since this voice message was output, the power will be turned off. However, if the REC button is detected to be pressed within these 15 seconds, the speaker will output a voice message saying, "Switching to proximity monitoring mode," and after the set transition time to proximity monitoring mode (initial value is 3 minutes) has elapsed, parking monitoring recording in proximity monitoring mode will begin.

[0074] When the operation trigger is set to ACC OFF linked, as shown in the upper part of Figure 12, when the vehicle engine is turned off and the ACC is turned off, a voice message saying "Entering proximity monitoring mode" is output from the speaker, and after the set transition time to proximity monitoring mode (initial value is 3 minutes) has elapsed, parking monitoring recording in proximity monitoring mode begins.

[0075] When the operation trigger is set to Area AUTO, as shown in the lower part of Figure 12, the system determines whether or not a Bluetooth-paired smartphone is present. If not, it performs an ACC OFF linked operation. If a smartphone is present, it outputs a voice message from the speaker saying, "Switching to proximity monitoring mode." When the driver takes the Bluetooth-paired smartphone out of the vehicle and moves away from the main unit, and is outside the set area sensitivity, parking monitoring recording in proximity monitoring mode begins. Bluetooth pairing is performed as shown in Figures 13 to 15.

[0076] Bluetooth pairing is performed within the dashcam's settings mode, as shown in Figures 13 and 14. The settings mode is entered when the vehicle's engine is turned on, continuous recording has started, the REC button is detected to be pressed, and then the REC button and the record button are detected to be pressed simultaneously. When the settings mode is entered, a voice message "This is settings mode, please press the REC button" is output from the speaker. If the REC button is pressed within 15 seconds after this voice message is finished, a voice message "Format SD card, please press the REC button" is output from the speaker. If the REC button is pressed within 15 seconds after this output is finished, the microSD card will be formatted. On the other hand, if the record button is pressed within 15 seconds, a voice message "Bluetooth pairing. Please press the REC button" is output from the speaker. If the REC button is pressed within 15 seconds after this output is finished, a voice message "Starting Bluetooth pairing. Please press the REC button again" is output from the speaker. If the REC button is pressed within 15 seconds after this voice message is finished, Bluetooth pairing will begin.

[0077] On a smartphone, the user performs the operations and app processes as shown in Figure 15. First, turn on the smartphone's Bluetooth. Launch the "SQ Remote" app from the smartphone's launcher. Upon launch, a "Reconnect" button will appear on the smartphone screen. When a tap of the "Reconnect" button is detected, a Bluetooth pairing request dialog will appear. This dialog will display the dashcam's device name, a pairing button, and a back button. When a tap of the pairing button is detected, pairing with the dashcam with the displayed device name will begin. Upon successful pairing, the smartphone will output a voice message "Pairing successful" from its speaker and display the operation screen.

[0078] The proximity monitoring mode operation screen has the screen configuration shown in Figure 16 and includes the functions shown in Figure 17. As shown in Figure 16, the proximity monitoring mode operation screen includes, from top to bottom, an operating status display area, a vehicle battery voltage display area, an area sensitivity level display area, an event record count display area, a recording mode switching area and stop button, an area sensitivity setting button, a version information button, a recorder connection button and a smartphone video display button.

[0079] The operating status display area shows the operation trigger, recording in progress, event monitoring in progress, monitoring in progress, stopped, cancellation area, event recording NG, etc. The vehicle battery voltage display area shows the vehicle's battery voltage. The area sensitivity level display area shows the area sensitivity for Area AUTO. The event record count display area shows the number of event records in proximity monitoring mode. The recording mode switching area has a constant button and an event-only button, and as shown in Figure 18, it has the function to switch the recording mode according to the user's operation. The stop button stops parking monitoring when the user performs an operation as shown in Figure 19. The area sensitivity setting button sets the area sensitivity for Area AUTO. As shown in Figure 20, when a touch on the area sensitivity setting button is detected, the area sensitivity setting screen is displayed. As shown in Figure 20(b), the area sensitivity setting screen has, from top to bottom, a title area, a sensitivity level display area, a sensitivity level image display area, a sensitivity level slider area, and a select button. The title area displays the title "Area Sensitivity". The sensitivity level display area shows the sensitivity value indicated by the slider bar displayed in the current sensitivity level slider area to the right of the words "Sensitivity Level". The sensitivity level can be set by moving the slider bar displayed in the sensitivity level slider area from 1 on the left to 10 on the right. In the example in Figure 20(b), the sensitivity level is shown as "7". The sensitivity level image display area displays an image from above the car, and a semi-transparent light blue circle with a diameter exceeding the length of the car in the left-right direction is displayed centered on the image from above the car. This diameter is displayed according to the current sensitivity level value of the slider. In the example in Figure 20(b), the sensitivity level is shown as "7", and in the example in Figure 21, from left to right, the sensitivity levels are 2, 6, and 10, respectively. When a touch of the OK button is detected, the sensitivity level set by the slider is saved as the set value, and the RSSI value corresponding to a radius of 1m for each sensitivity level is set as the RSSI setting value, and the system returns to the proximity monitoring mode operation screen. For example, if the sensitivity level is 10, the RSSI value corresponding to a radius of 10m will be used as the RSSI setting value.The default value for the sensitivity level slider is set to a sensitivity level of 6, which corresponds to an RSSI setting value for a radius of 6m. The RSSI value for each sensitivity level is pre-stored from values ​​measured every 1m, and this is used as the RSSI setting value.

[0080] When the dashcam is within Bluetooth range of the smartphone (referred to as "area in"), it maintains the Bluetooth connection and periodically sends periodic monitoring messages. When the smartphone receives this message, it retrieves the RSSI value at the time of reception. If the RSSI value falls below the set value, it is considered "area out" and sends an instruction message to the dashcam to perform parking monitoring. Upon receiving this instruction message, the dashcam enters parking monitoring mode and begins recording parking surveillance.

[0081] By sending periodic monitoring messages from the camera in this way, the smartphone app can be called and run by the OS even when the app is running in the background. Furthermore, by reading the RSSI value when a message is received, the correct RSSI value can be obtained, making it possible to determine the correct distance to the dashcam.

[0082] While in the area, the connection between the drive recorder and the smartphone is maintained. When the status of the drive recorder changes, the values ​​of the items explained in Figure 17 are sent from the drive recorder to the smartphone, and the smartphone receives these values ​​and updates the smartphone screen display in Figure 16.

[0083] Figure 22 schematically illustrates the operation of a smartphone app and a dashcam when a user with a smartphone gets out of the vehicle and moves away (departure). The outer circle represents the Bluetooth connection range, which is approximately 10 meters. The area inside the inner circle is the range where the RSSI value exceeds the RSSI setting value. After the ACC is turned off, the departure process shown in Figure 22 is performed. The RSSI value monitoring process for periodic monitoring messages is started. During the RSSI value monitoring process, if the RSSI value of a periodic monitoring message exceeds the RSSI setting value, the system enters a "waiting for monitoring" state. When the RSSI value of a periodic monitoring message exceeds the RSSI setting value, the dashcam stops recording. Within the range of the inner circle, the operation status display area of ​​the proximity monitoring mode operation screen of the smartphone app is set to "waiting for monitoring," as shown in the lower right of Figure 22.

[0084] Then, when the user moves further away from the vehicle and the RSSI value of the periodic monitoring message falls below the RSSI setting value, the smartphone sends a parking monitoring recording start command signal to the drive recorder via Bluetooth. Upon receiving the parking monitoring recording start command, the drive recorder starts parking monitoring in parking monitoring mode and begins recording. In the range between the inner and outer circles of Figure 22, which is the Bluetooth connection range, where the RSSI value of the periodic monitoring message is below the RSSI setting value, the smartphone app processes the display in the operation status display area of ​​the proximity monitoring mode operation screen to show "Event monitoring in progress," as shown in the lower center of Figure 22.

[0085] Furthermore, if the user moves further away from the vehicle and out of Bluetooth connection range, the smartphone app will change the display in the operation status display area of ​​the proximity monitoring mode operation screen to "-" as shown in the lower left of Figure 22. When the smartphone moves out of Bluetooth connection range and Bluetooth communication is disconnected, the drive recorder will start periodically transmitting Bluetooth beacon signals.

[0086] Next, we will explain the actions of a user with a smartphone returning to the car, referring to Figure 23. Figure 23 is a schematic diagram similar to the one explained in Figure 22, but it shows the actions of the user approaching the car, the opposite of Figure 22. Outside the Bluetooth connection range, the drive recorder periodically transmits a Bluetooth beacon signal. Outside the Bluetooth connection range, the display in the operation status display area of ​​the proximity monitoring mode operation screen remains "-", as shown in the lower left of Figure 23.

[0087] When the smartphone enters the Bluetooth connection range and receives a Bluetooth beacon signal, it establishes a Bluetooth connection with the dashcam. The dashcam then begins sending periodic monitoring notification messages periodically, and starts monitoring whether the RSSI value of these periodic monitoring notification messages exceeds a set value.

[0088] When the user approaches the vehicle and the smartphone's RSSI value for the periodic monitoring message exceeds the set RSSI value, it sends a parking monitoring recording stop command signal to the dashcam via Bluetooth. Upon receiving the parking monitoring recording stop command, the dashcam stops parking monitoring in parking monitoring mode and stops recording.

[0089] In the range between the inner and outer circles of Figure 23, which is the Bluetooth connection range and has an RSSI value below the RSSI setting value, the display in the operation status area of ​​the proximity monitoring mode operation screen is set to "Event Monitoring in Progress," as shown in the lower center of Figure 22. Within the range of the inner circle, the display in the operation status area of ​​the proximity monitoring mode operation screen of the smartphone app is set to "Monitoring Waiting," as shown in the lower right of Figure 22. While the drive recorder and smartphone are connected, the connection is maintained, and when the state of the drive recorder changes, the values ​​of the items explained in Figure 17 are sent from the drive recorder to the smartphone, and the smartphone receives the values ​​of those items and updates the smartphone screen display in Figure 16. As can be seen by comparing the lower center and lower right of Figure 22, the display is updated. For example, the event record count display area will show 0 in the lower center and 1 in the lower right because a file is generated when recording stops.

[0090] The transmission cycle for periodic monitoring messages and Bluetooth beacons is set to 2 seconds. This reduces smartphone battery consumption and allows area detection to be performed with only 3-4 steps as the user moves away from the dashcam. Furthermore, sending periodic monitoring messages at particularly short intervals can cause the smartphone app to not start smoothly, leading to frequent app operation and increased battery consumption, but this can also be suppressed.

[0091] The drive recorder of this embodiment described above is an example of a system that has the function of recording video captured on a vehicle while the vehicle is parked, and has the function of detecting when a vehicle user approaches the vehicle, and has the function of stopping recording while the vehicle is parked when a vehicle user approaches the vehicle.Therefore, recording can be stopped simply by the user approaching the parked vehicle, realizing a system that is easier to use than conventional systems.For example, if the user of the car is captured in the video taken by the parking surveillance camera when the user approaches the vehicle, it will be recording unnecessary video and the recording area of ​​the microSD card will be wasted, but this can be reduced.For example, the approach is defined as an approach that is close enough to see the user getting into the car.If the user is captured in the parking surveillance video of the drive recorder when getting into the car, it will be recording unnecessary video and the recording area of ​​the video, such as the microSD card, will be wasted, but this can be reduced.

[0092] In this embodiment, a four-wheeled automobile was used as the vehicle, but other vehicles such as bicycles or motorcycles may also be used. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a private car is assumed as the vehicle, but a company car or a passenger vehicle such as a bus or taxi may also be used.

[0093] In this embodiment, to detect that the vehicle's engine or electric vehicle's power is off while the vehicle is parked, the connection shown in Figure 6 is made to detect that the ACC is off. However, other methods may be used for detection. For example, the interior of the vehicle captured by the drive recorder camera could be used for image recognition, and if no people are detected, the system could be considered parked. Alternatively, the system could be powered by connecting to the car's battery or by a separate power source such as a battery other than the car's battery, and the power supply from the cigarette lighter socket could be monitored. If there is no power supply from the cigarette lighter socket, it could be determined that the vehicle's engine or electric vehicle's power is off.

[0094] In this embodiment, the user is primarily assumed to be the driver, but it could also be a passenger. Whether or not someone is a user may be determined, for example, based on whether or not video similar to the video of a pre-registered user has been captured.

[0095] In this embodiment, the assumption is that the vehicle is parked and the driver is not in the vehicle. However, a function to detect whether or not the driver is in the vehicle may be provided. In this embodiment, the function to detect whether or not the driver is in the vehicle is detected by the RSSI level of the radio waves emitted by the drive recorder received by the driver's smartphone. However, for example, the determination may be made based on whether or not the driver of the vehicle, who has been registered in advance, is present in the video footage captured by the vehicle.

[0096] In this embodiment, imaging is performed using a drive recorder camera installed inside the vehicle, and a roughly hemispherical camera is used, but a full-spherical camera is more preferable. A wide-angle camera may also be used. The direction of imaging may be, for example, inside the vehicle or from inside the vehicle to outside the vehicle. In particular, it is preferable to have a configuration that can capture both inside and outside the vehicle. Such a configuration may include, for example, using two cameras for imaging, one for inside the vehicle and one for outside the vehicle, or installing one hemispherical camera facing downwards from the ceiling inside the vehicle.

[0097] In this embodiment, the video signal of the image captured by the camera is compressed and recorded as digital information on a microSD card, but it may also be recorded in analog form.

[0098] In this embodiment, the drive recorder is configured to record by inserting a microSD card into the main unit. However, a separate recording unit may be provided from the drive recorder's camera unit, and the two may be connected by wire or wireless connection for recording. The recording unit may be installed inside the vehicle, or it may be installed on a server connected via communication. The recording unit may be a removable recording medium. The recording unit may be a non-volatile memory. The recording unit may be a semiconductor memory. The recording means may be a card-shaped recording medium. The recording unit may be a card-shaped medium.

[0099] In this embodiment, recording is performed by saving files at predetermined time intervals, but for example, video data could simply be recorded continuously. Alternatively, recording could be terminated when a specific termination condition is met, rather than at time intervals.

[0100] The drive recorder may consist of a single enclosure, or it may consist of multiple enclosures electrically connected by wires or wireless connections. Some of the functions of the drive recorder in this embodiment may be located outside the vehicle. For example, the system may be configured with a server as part of it, but it is preferable to have all of the drive recorder's functions located inside the vehicle, as in this embodiment.

[0101] In this embodiment, when a vehicle user approaches the vehicle, the recording of the video captured by the vehicle is stopped and the file containing the video is closed. However, for example, the recording could be temporarily paused.

[0102] While detecting a vehicle user's approach to the vehicle may be done, for example, by detecting when the vehicle door is opened by the user, as in this embodiment, it is preferable to detect the vehicle user's approach to the vehicle based on whether or not the vehicle user has moved within a predetermined area outside the vehicle door. In this way, recording of the parked vehicle stops simply when the vehicle user approaches within the predetermined area outside the vehicle door.

[0103] In this embodiment, the detection of a vehicle user approaching the vehicle is performed based on the radio wave conditions of a smartphone, which is a terminal that the user can carry. This allows for more reliable detection of approach. For example, it can detect approach more reliably than user recognition using image recognition of captured images. Also, for example, the user can be detected without having to take the terminal out of its storage place such as a bag or pocket.

[0104] The smartphone that the user can carry is battery-powered. In this embodiment, the terminal is a smartphone, but it could also be a remote control, key, tag, etc. However, a smartphone is preferable because vehicle users are likely to take their smartphones outside the vehicle.

[0105] In this embodiment, Bluetooth was used as the radio wave, but other radio waves may be used. For example, LTE may be used, but it is particularly good to use one with a communication range of a few meters to a dozen meters. Using beacons is particularly good, and using Bluetooth beacons as in this embodiment is especially good.

[0106] For a configuration based on radio wave conditions, for example, approach to the vehicle could be detected when the dashcam is able to receive radio waves from a smartphone, or it would be better to detect approach to the vehicle when wireless communication with the dashcam becomes possible.

[0107] However, the embodiment is particularly advantageous. In this embodiment, the detection of a vehicle user approaching the vehicle is performed based on the strength of the radio waves used for communication with a smartphone, which is a terminal that the vehicle user can carry. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a separate transmitter and receiver for distance detection from the transmitter and receiver of the radio waves used for communication.

[0108] For detecting approach to a vehicle, the reception strength of the radio waves emitted by the drive recorder can be measured using a smartphone, a device that the user can carry. The measured reception strength is then transmitted to the drive recorder, and if the reception strength received by the drive recorder exceeds a predetermined level, approach to the vehicle can be detected. This method can reduce the battery consumption of the device that the user can carry. These predetermined conditions can be, for example, when the reception strength is above a predetermined level.

[0109] The detection of a vehicle user approaching the vehicle may be performed by having the dashcam emit radio waves at predetermined intervals, the strength of which can be measured by a smartphone, a device that the vehicle user can carry. The smartphone measures the strength of the radio waves emitted from the dashcam at predetermined intervals, transmits the measurement results to the dashcam, and the dashcam detects the approach based on the measurement results. This method can reduce the battery consumption of the smartphone. Smartphones have extremely small battery capacities compared to vehicles, and transmission often consumes significantly more power than reception, but since the radio waves are transmitted from the dashcam in the vehicle, the power required for transmission on the terminal side can be reduced.

[0110] Ideally, as in this embodiment, the strength of the radio waves emitted from the drive recorder at predetermined intervals is measured using a smartphone, which is a terminal that can be carried by the vehicle user. If the measurement result is above a predetermined strength, information regarding the measurement result is transmitted, and the drive recorder receives this information and determines that it is approaching the vehicle. In this way, the power consumption of the terminal can be significantly reduced, and the battery life of the terminal can be extended.

[0111] The predetermined period should ideally be an interval at which at least one reception occurs, and more preferably at least several, within the time it takes for a user to approach a vehicle on foot, from the moment the terminal enters the receivable area of ​​the radio waves transmitted from the system until the user reaches the vehicle. The predetermined period should ideally be less than or equal to the time it takes for a person to walk a few steps. For example, the predetermined period should be 3 seconds or less. On the other hand, making the predetermined period too short will cause problems. The predetermined period should be longer than the time required to conserve the terminal's battery. Furthermore, the inventors have found that if the terminal has an application execution function, frequent reception events can cause the application to not run smoothly. Therefore, the predetermined period should be longer than the time required to avoid affecting the application's operation. Taking all of these factors into consideration, a predetermined period of approximately 2 seconds, as in this embodiment, is optimal. This approach can further reduce the terminal's battery consumption, allow other programs such as applications to run smoothly, and enable recording to be stopped when the user approaches the vehicle and an appropriate proximity is achieved. For example, if the device is a smartphone and the system is configured as a camera, when a user walks towards a camera equipped with a beacon, reception will occur frequently on the smartphone. Therefore, it would be good to reduce the smartphone's battery consumption and enable area detection after moving around 3 or 4 steps. Also, if beacons are transmitted at short time intervals, the smartphone will receive all the beacon signals, causing frequent reception events and preventing the app from running smoothly. However, this problem can be suppressed by setting the interval to around 2 seconds.

[0112] The information regarding the measurement result should be the reception level, and when the dashcam receives this reception level and meets certain conditions, such as being above a predetermined value, it is preferable to stop recording. However, as in this embodiment, the information regarding the measurement result should be a signal specifically requesting the cessation of recording. The smartphone should send a signal requesting the cessation of recording when the signal strength measured by the smartphone is above a predetermined value, and the dashcam should stop recording when it receives this signal. This way, the battery consumption of the terminal can be further reduced. The radio waves may be used as beacon signals, as in this embodiment. In particular, the radio waves may be used as advertising signals, such as the Bluetooth beacon in this embodiment.

[0113] In this embodiment, a smartphone was used as an example of a device owned by the user, but a tablet or other device may also be used. However, a smartphone is particularly preferred.

[0114] The drive recorder in this embodiment is an example of a parking surveillance camera equipped with a function to transmit beacons, and the terminal is a smartphone capable of running an application that has the function to receive beacon signals transmitted from the camera. For example, the camera periodically transmits a Bluetooth beacon signal (every 2 seconds in this product), and when a person with a smartphone that has the dedicated application installed approaches the parking surveillance camera, the smartphone application receives the Bluetooth beacon and establishes a Bluetooth connection with the camera. Each time the application periodically receives a periodic monitoring notification message from the camera, it obtains an RSSI value to detect the approximate distance to the camera. When the RSSI value becomes greater than or equal to a preset RSSI value, the application establishes a Bluetooth connection with the camera and stops the parking surveillance mode, thereby deactivating the camera's parking surveillance operation.

[0115] Bluetooth beacons are best advertised by the camera, and it's a good idea to create a dedicated UUID (Universally Unique Identifier) ​​for the beacon and transmit it periodically.

[0116] Bluetooth beacons typically transmit ID information called advertisement packets, which include proximityUUID and Major / Minor identification.

[0117] It is advisable to configure the system to periodically transmit the configured ID information. The proximityUUID, Major, and Minor identifiers can be arbitrarily determined, but for example, it is advisable to use a common proximityUUID across all systems, while varying the Major and Minor codes for each individual system. In this way, even when multiple systems are nearby, video recording can be stopped or started (as described later) only when approaching a specific system. It is also advisable to configure the system to receive these Major and Minor codes as message data when the camera and smartphone app are paired. When the app detects that the user has re-paired or unpaired, these Major and Minor codes should be updated or cleared.

[0118] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the system is equipped with a function to receive operation signals from a smartphone, which is a terminal that can be carried by the vehicle user, via wireless communication. The smartphone operation includes an operation to stop recording while the vehicle is parked. The drive recorder is equipped with a function to stop recording while the vehicle is parked when it receives an operation to stop recording while the vehicle is parked. In addition, if the system detects the vehicle user approaching the vehicle, it will stop recording while the vehicle is parked even if it does not receive an operation to stop recording while the vehicle is parked.

[0119] This eliminates the need for the user to take out their smartphone when approaching the car and stop recording while parked on that smartphone. Therefore, it eliminates the hassle of having to perform an action when getting into the car.

[0120] In this embodiment, the system is equipped with a communication function that allows communication with a user-carryable terminal in a first range, which is a range that includes an area further away than the second range, which is the range for detecting approach to the vehicle, and is in the vicinity of the vehicle. The system is equipped with a function to transmit information about the situation detected while the vehicle is parked in the first range. Therefore, when the user-carryable terminal approaches the vehicle up to the first range, it can obtain information about the situation detected while the vehicle is parked, and the user can stop recording the vehicle while it is parked in the second range, which is closer to the vehicle than the first range. In particular, since the user-carryable terminal is equipped with a function to receive and notify the system about the information about the situation detected while the vehicle is parked, the user can obtain information about the situation detected while the vehicle is parked when it approaches the vehicle up to the first range, and the user can stop recording the vehicle while it is parked in the second range, which is closer to the vehicle than the first range. If the user approaches only up to the first range and does not enter the second range, it is possible to obtain information about the situation detected while the vehicle is parked without the recording being stopped. For example, if no abnormality is reported, you can use it to avoid getting any closer and leave the car to do other things. If an abnormality is detected, you can simply move into the second range to stop recording.

[0121] The situation detected while the vehicle is parked may be, for example, the recognition result of the status of a suspicious person captured in the image taken, but in particular, the drive recorder of this embodiment has a function to acquire the status of the vehicle, and the situation detected while the vehicle is parked is the acquired information regarding the status of the vehicle. The function to acquire the status of the vehicle may be implemented by equipping the system with sensors, etc., or by acquiring it from the vehicle's own in-vehicle LAN, etc. The information regarding the situation detected while the vehicle is parked should be particularly useful as information regarding vehicle abnormalities. In this way, when approaching a vehicle that is being monitored while parked, it is possible to immediately check whether there is an abnormality in the vehicle.

[0122] Information about the vehicle's status while parked should include battery information and tire pressure information. This way, battery information and tire pressure can be checked every time someone approaches a parked car.

[0123] The first range should be the communication range of the communication function, and is particularly good if it is around 10 to 20 meters. The second range should be, for example, around 6 meters. Since people walk at various speeds, if the distance is too short, drivers and other people may appear in the parking surveillance video, so this range increases the likelihood of not being captured. Also, for example, if the system is configured to connect via Bluetooth when a driver approaches the car and check the RSSI every 2 seconds, then a distance of around 6 meters is desirable, as it is slightly more than the number of steps a person takes in 2 seconds (4 or 5 steps).

[0124] It is preferable to provide an adjustment function that allows the user to adjust the second range, as in this embodiment. In this way, the user can set how close the vehicle needs to be before video recording is stopped. For example, the system should be configured to detect approach using radio wave intensity, and a function should be provided that allows the user to set the intensity for the second range. For example, a function to set the RSSI level should be provided. By adjusting the pre-set RSSI value, the position of the camera that starts / stops parking surveillance can be adjusted, making it possible to control the start / stop of parking surveillance in a position where the driver is not visible in the monitored video.

[0125] As in this embodiment, it is preferable to have a drive recorder that has a function that prevents recording of the parked vehicle from starting until the vehicle's user moves beyond a predetermined range from the vehicle, even when the vehicle is parked. This prevents the vehicle's user from being captured on video.

[0126] Furthermore, as in this embodiment, it is preferable to have a function that starts recording even when the vehicle is parked if the vehicle user moves beyond a predetermined range from the vehicle. It is preferable to detect whether or not the vehicle user has moved beyond a predetermined range from the vehicle and start recording when it is detected that they have moved. Starting recording may be done by releasing the pause from recording, but it is preferable to start a new recording, and if the configuration is to record video data to a file, it is preferable to create a new file and start recording.

[0127] As in this embodiment, the drive recorder has a function to record video captured by the vehicle while it is in motion, and includes a driving recording mode, which is a mode for recording video captured by the vehicle while it is in motion, and a parking surveillance mode, which is a mode for recording video captured by the vehicle while it is parked. The drive recorder has a function to stop recording in the driving recording mode when it detects that the vehicle has changed from driving to parking, and to not start recording in the parking surveillance mode until the vehicle's user has moved beyond a predetermined range from the vehicle. In this way, it is easier to prevent the driver or passengers from being captured on video when the vehicle enters parking surveillance mode.

[0128] In particular, as in this embodiment, parking surveillance recording should not start until the driver holding the smartphone moves beyond a predetermined range from the car, then start recording once the driver has moved beyond the predetermined range, and stop recording when the driver holding the smartphone approaches the car.

[0129] Furthermore, the drive recorder should be equipped with a function to detect whether any necessary actions to be taken when parking the vehicle have been forgotten and to transmit information indicating this. It should also be equipped with a communication function that allows communication with a device that the user can carry in a third range, which is the vicinity of the vehicle and includes areas further away than the fourth range, which is the range for detecting separation from the vehicle. If it is detected that an action to be taken when parking the vehicle has been forgotten, the device should be equipped with a function to transmit information indicating this via the communication function. In this way, a smartphone or other device that the user can carry can receive information indicating this when the drive recorder detects that an action to be taken when parking the vehicle has been forgotten. In particular, it would be good if the smartphone that the user can carry notifies the user when it receives such information.

[0130] Actions that should be taken when parking the vehicle include, for example, turning off the illumination, locking the doors, and turning off the hazard lights. The information indicating this could be, for example, the status of the actions that should be taken when parking the vehicle, but it would be particularly good to have information indicating that something has been forgotten. For example, this could be information such as the illumination status, door lock status, and hazard light flashing status, but it would be best to have information indicating that the illumination was not turned off, the doors were not locked, or the hazard lights were not turned off. It would be particularly convenient to obtain this information from the vehicle's OBD connector or directly from sensors, and to configure the system to automatically notify the driver of any forgotten actions.

[0131] For example, the system could be a surveillance camera equipped with Bluetooth communication capabilities. When the surveillance camera is within Bluetooth connection range (area in) of the smartphone, the Bluetooth connection is maintained, and the camera periodically sends periodic monitoring notification messages. When the smartphone receives this message, it obtains the RSSI value at the time of reception. When the RSSI value falls below a pre-set value, it is considered out of the area, and a message is sent to the camera instructing it to perform parking monitoring. When the terminal is a smartphone, if the app is in the background, the app cannot operate periodically on its own, and unless the RSSI value is read when a message is received, the correct RSSI value cannot be obtained, and the correct distance to the camera cannot be determined. However, this problem can be solved by configuring the camera to send periodic messages. While in the area, the connection with the camera is maintained, and the camera can send information such as changes in its status, the number of recordings, and vehicle information. Here again, the transmission cycle for periodic monitoring communication messages is 2 seconds. The reason for 2 seconds is the same as the reason for the beacon transmission cycle. In particular, if messages are sent at short intervals, the app may not start smoothly, causing it to run frequently and draining the battery, but this problem can also be solved. By recognizing the distance between the parking surveillance camera and the smartphone in this way, when the user gets into the car, they can simply have their smartphone in their hand and the parking surveillance will automatically stop without any operation. When the user parks the car and leaves the area with their smartphone, the camera's parking surveillance can automatically start again. It is preferable to configure the system to automatically establish a Bluetooth connection with the camera when the user approaches the parking surveillance camera, and to configure it so that the information held by the camera can be read when needed while a Bluetooth connection is established. The periodic surveillance notification message should be a signal, not a beacon or an advertisement. Furthermore, it is preferable to have an adjustment function that allows the user to adjust the fourth range, as in this embodiment. In this way, the user can set how far away from the vehicle the recording of video will start.For example, the system could be configured to detect separation by radio wave intensity, and could include a function to set the intensity for the fourth range through user operation. For example, it could include a function to set the RSSI level. By adjusting the pre-set RSSI value, the position of the camera that starts / stops parking surveillance can be adjusted, making it possible to control the start / stop of parking surveillance in a position where the driver is not visible in the monitored video. In this embodiment, the first and third ranges, and the second and fourth ranges are the same range, but they may be different ranges.

[0132] It would be convenient to have a system that can deter criminal activity involving parked vehicles and record events around the vehicle on video. However, as in this embodiment, it would be even more convenient if the vehicle monitoring mode could be turned ON / OFF without the user having to operate it themselves.

[0133] Furthermore, the system may be equipped with a function to stop and start recording while the vehicle is parked, for example, based on the passage of time or information detected by various sensors attached to the vehicle. For example, recording may be performed until a predetermined time has elapsed since entering parking surveillance mode, and then recording may stop once the predetermined time has elapsed. Thieves are likely to approach the vehicle after confirming that the user has left it, but this system can accurately record such scenes while also reducing the amount of recording space required. In addition, the system may be equipped with a function to start recording when a sensor detects the approach of someone who does not have the user's device. Recording parking surveillance footage in this way allows for more accurate preservation of evidence of criminal activity, increases the likelihood of eliminating the user's own imagery, reduces the increase in recording space without unnecessary recording, and ensures that the recorded content is appropriate. Furthermore, the configuration for detecting area in / out is not limited to using Bluetooth beacons; for example, a configuration using GPS may also be used.

[0134] The scope of the present invention is not limited to the configurations explicitly described in the specification, but also includes combinations of various aspects of the present invention disclosed herein. While the configurations for which patent protection is sought are specified in the appended claims, the present invention intends to include configurations disclosed herein that are not currently specified in the claims in the future.

[0135] The present invention is not limited to the configuration described in the embodiments above. The components of each embodiment and modification described above can be arbitrarily selected and combined. Furthermore, any component of each embodiment and modification can be arbitrarily combined with any component described in the means for solving the invention, or any component that embodies any component described in the means for solving the invention. The present application intends to obtain rights to these as well through amendments or divisional applications. Even if there are descriptions such as "in the case of..." or "when...", the description is not limited to that case or time. Configurations that do not fall under these cases or times are also disclosed, and the present application intends to obtain rights to them. Also, even if there is a sequence of descriptions, it is not limited to that order. Configurations with some parts deleted or the order rearranged are also disclosed, and the present application intends to obtain rights to them.

[0136] Furthermore, the applicant intends to obtain rights to the overall design or a partial design by filing an application for amendment to the design application. The drawing depicts the entire device with solid lines, but it is a drawing that includes not only the overall design but also partial designs claimed for parts of the device. For example, it is a drawing that includes not only a partial design for a part of the device, but also a partial design for a part of the device regardless of whether it is a part or not. A part of the device may be a part of the device's components, or a part of a component. The applicant intends to obtain rights not only to the overall design, but also to a partial design in which any part of the solid lines in the drawing is represented by dashed lines.

Claims

1. The drive recorder has a function to receive and display battery voltage information of the vehicle to which it is connected, which is transmitted wirelessly from the drive recorder during parking surveillance. A smartphone application program designed to be implemented on a smartphone's computer, When the drive recorder is powered by a battery other than the vehicle battery to which it is connected, the remaining battery capacity of the other battery is wirelessly received and displayed when the application is launched. A program for smartphone applications that enables the use of a smartphone's computer.

2. The function of wirelessly receiving and displaying information on the number of event records from the aforementioned drive recorder, A program for a smartphone application to be implemented on the computer of the smartphone described in claim 1.

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